Coupling means and trim for laminated building units



June 9, 1953 F. H. TRIMMER 2,641,029

COUPLING MEANS AND TRIM FOR LAMINATED BUILDING UNITS Filed Feb. 24, 1950I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 \JQ 2s 34 I4 la H5 2% A I? D A I (a c 77 '2 Lu A L23 I8 23 2| K IQ INVENTOR.

Fred II TrimmEr ATTORNEYS.

June 9, i953 F. H. TRIMMER 2,641,029

COUPLING MEANS AND TiRIM- FOR LAMI'NATED BUILDING UNITS Filed Feb. 24,1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I FIG.3

INVENTOR;-

Fred H JI'I'ij-nmE P ATTORN EYS.

Patented June 9, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COUPLING MEANS ANDTRIM FOR LAIVIINATED BUILDING UNITS- 2 Claims.

This invention relates to building construction and more particularly tocoupling means and trim for panel sections of buildings at corners orwhere they are angularly related one to an other.

The invention is particularly well adapted for use in buildingconstruction, such as is shown in my copending application filedFebruary 24, 1950, Serial Number 146,010, and for use with laminatedload bearing and insulating units or panel sections shown in mycopending application filed February 24, 1950, Serial No. 146,011.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide couplingmeans and trim which is inexpensive to manufacture, neat in appearance,easy to install and efficient as-means to retain panel sections inangular relationship without the use of corner posts or studs.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following detaileddescription of a highly satisfactory embodiment of the invention, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, and in which drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective View looking toward the outside of acorner of a building foundation and wall, showing my invention in use.

Fig. 2 is a detailed horizontal sectional view on the line 2--2 of Fig.1.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are perspective views of portions of the coupling meansand trim, parts being broken away and removed to condense the views.

In the drawing I have disclosed the invention as applied to a corner ofa building and more particularly an external corner, however, it is tobe understood that it is applicable to internal corners, and to roofconstruction at the ridge of a gable roof.

Mounted upon a foundation 8 are plates or sills 9 supporting panelsections In in angular relation to one another. The coupling means andtrim for the panel sections is designated generally by the character I lIn the preferred embodiment of my invention, each panel sectionpreferably comprises outer facing sheet I2, an inner facing sheet M andan intermediate corrugated sheet [5 of the character disclosed in theaforesaid application Serial No. 146,011. As there disclosed, thecorrugated sheet is preferably shaped so that ridges thereof havestraight crown portions l1 secured to the facing sheets, diagonalstraight side portions 18, extending diagonally between the facingsheets,

and curved or arcuate side portions I9 joining the portions 18 and I1whereby the corrugated sheet acts as a strut-like unit, resistingcompressive forces acting upon the facing sheets. The straight sideportions [8 preferably lie in planes at angles of to the planes of thefacing sheets, thus enabling a wkorkman to cut a bevel at the end ofeach panel section, in a plane closely adjacent to and substantiallyparalleling the plane of one of the straight side portions [9, so thattwo of the panels may be disposed with the beveled faces in confrontingrelation at a corner of the building and with the panel sections inangular relation one to another, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, where thevarious portions of the intermediate sheet effectively act as a strut toresist compressive forces acting in planes substantially paralleling aplane bisecting the angle between the planes of the panel sections Ill.

The coupling means and trim ll comprise a first orouter coupling member2|, a second or inner coupling member 22, and means 23 for drawing themembers 2| and 22 toward each other and retaining them in clampingrelationship to the panel sections 10. A trim strip 25 for cooperationwith the second or inner coupling member 22 and for concealing parts ofmeans 23, and means 26 for detachably securing the trim strip 25 to thecoupling member 22, may be provided, but is not claimed in thisparticular application.

The coupling member 2| may be made from a strip of rolled or cast metalstock of angular cross section or from sheet metal rolled to angularcross section having the flanges 28 to be disposed in planes parallelingthe planes of the angularly related panel sections [0 for bearingrelationship with the outer faces of the outer facing sheets [2 thereof.If desired any suitable insulating material, such as asbestos paper orplastic, not shown in the drawing, may be interposed between the flanges28 and the panel sections. In the example shown the coupling member 2!is provided with a plurality of screw threaded shanks 29 forming a partof means 23. These shanks are integral with the coupling member 2 I andare in spaced apart relation longitudinally of the strip in a planebisecting the angle between the planes of the flanges 28 and normal tothe vertex between the said flanges,

3 30 and a web 3| joining the flanges 30. These flanges 30 are in planesparalleling the planes of the panel sections and in bearing relationshipwith the outer faces of the inner facing sheets I4. Here, also, anysuitable material, not shown in the drawing may be interposed betweenthe flanges and facing sheets I4. The web 3| is provided with aplurality of openings 32 in spaced apart relation longitudinally of thecoupling member, throu'gh'which the shanks 29 project when the couplingmeans is being assembled.

The means 23 for drawing the coupling members 2| and 22 toward eachother and-retaining them in clamping relationship to the-panel sections10, in addition to the screw threaded shanks 29 may include nuts 33secured on the shanks and bearing against the web 3 I.

With reference to the trim strip 25 it is preferably made of somesuitable material suchas stainless steel or solidified plastic and ofconcave-convex cross section. The longitudinal edges are preferablybeveled to provide faces 34 for surface to surface contact with theexposed faces of the facing sheets I 4- as shown in Fig. 2. In use theconvex'face 35 of strip 25 confronts and conceals the means 23. Thistrim-strip provides a neat internal corner construction, free-ofrecesses or cracks and hence will not harbor dirt or other objectionablematter.

The means 26 for detachably securing the trim strip 25 to the couplingmember 22 may comprise a plurality of companion clips and 31!, of resihient material, carried'by the flanges 39 and the trim strip 25,respectively. 1 The clips 36 each have obtuse angularly related arms 3'!and 38, the arms 31' of these clipstil being welded. or otherwisesecured to the edges of'flanges 39 and the arms 38' extending toward theweb 3| but spaced from the faces of the'flanges 39. The clips 3": arelikewise each of a similar shape having obtuse angularly related arms40' and 4l,.the arms 49 of these clips 3'! being welded-or otherwisesecured to-the convex face 35' of strip 25', and the arms 4| projectingtoward'the longitudinal edges of the strip but spaced'fromthe'convex'iace 35. The spacing of'the sets of clips is such that thetrim strip may be snapped into place, after the nuts 33 have been turnedtight.

"By making the screw threaded shanks. 29 integral with the couplingmember 2 l, the workman may more readily locate the position for boringany necessarynotches or holes in the panel sections, for the receptionof the shanks 39' by positioning the coupling member near the angularlyrelated. panel sections with the free ends of the screw threaded shanksabutting the corner edges of the panels and marking the places wherenotches or holes are to occur.

The action of tightening the. nuts 33exerts pressure by couplingsections 2| and ZZupon the outside surfaces of the panel sections in aclamping action and at the same time tends to pull the twopanel sectionstoward the apex of the angle of panel sections 2| and 22. Ihe neteffects are toprovide continuity of external surface and-to rigidly holdthe two panel sections to each other. When pressure is transmitted tothe corrugated sheet ill, in the example shown, the particular sideportions of the ridges thereof which are nearest the edges of the panelsections it, tend to pinch against the shanks 29 and thereby resistcollapsing of the panel sections due to the clamping action of thecoupling members 2| and 22, the adjacent portions 18 and 19 of thecorrugated sheet 15, acting effectively as a strut.

If desired the voids between the ribs of the corrugated sheet I5 and thefacing sheets I2 and I4 may be filled with insulating material 42, asuitable example being shown in the aforesaid application Serial No.146,011.

I claim:

1. In building construction, 'the combination with two laminated panelsections in angular relation to one another, said panel sections eachincluding spaced apart facing sheets and an intermediate corrugatedsheet, the crowns of the ridges of which are secured to said facingsheets and the side portions of the ridges of which extend diagonallybetween the facing sheets, the

ridges nearest the adjacent edges of said panel sections having theirparticular outermost side portions substantially paralleling a verticalplane bisecting the angle between the planes of said panel sections toact as struts between their respective facing sheets; of coupling. meansand trim for said panelpsections, comprising external and internalstrips having bearing faces engaging the external exposed faces,respectively, of said facing sheets outwardly of the zones of'saidparticular side portions of the ridges oithe'panel sections, and meansfor drawing said strips toward each other and retaining them in'clampedrelationship to said panel sections, and whereby collapsing of the panelsections is resisteclby said particular side portions of the ridgesthereof.

2. In building construction, the combination with two laminated panelsections in angular relation to one another, said panel sections eachincluding spaced apart facing sheets and: chintermediate corrugatedsheet, the crowns oithe ridges of which are secured to said facingsheets and the side portions of the ridges of which extend diagonallybetween the facing sheets, the ridges nearest the adjacent edges of saidpanel sections having their particular outermost Side portionssubstantially paralleling a vertical plane bisecting the angle betweenthe planes of said panel sections to act as struts between theirrespective facing sheets; of coupling means and trim for said panelsections, comprising external and internal strips having bearing facesengaging the external exposed faces, respectivelyy of said facing sheetsoutwardly of the zones of said particular side portions of the ridges ofthe panel sections, and means for drawing said strips toward each otherand retaining them in clamped relationship to said panel sections, saidmeans including bolt shanks extending between and engaging saidparticular side portions of the ridges of the panel sections, wherebycollapsing of the panel sections is resisted by said particular sideportions of the ridges thereof.

FRED H. TRIMMER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 369,927 Eddy Sept. 13, 1387 2,118,525 Richardson Oct.- 8, 19342,177,699 Fisher Oct. 31, 1939 2,309,389 Goodman June 11, -139402,317,634 Olsen Apr. 27, 1943 2,345,018 Teague et a1 Mar. 28, 19442,371,329 Hirsch Mar. -13, 1945 2,373,789 Smith Apr. 17, 1945

